Nottingham Contemporary

For Families
Photograph: Morgan Stockton

Play & Learn: In Gallery, at Home and Outside!

I Spy, You Spy, We All Spy! Our Easter workshops are here and ready to book!

Our space becomes a palette of images, colours, and materials for you to explore, make and play. Click here to book a space at one of our workshops.

If you are able to visit, try our Family Explorer bags, available in the reception area with family activites to do on the galleries during your visit.

If you want to make at home, see the selection of activities below or all our past ones are here, there are lots to do to keep you busy.

You could also take a look at our Virtual Reality tour of past exhibitions and related activites.

Be sure to share your ‘in Gallery, at Home and Outside!’ experience on our social media, at #NCmaking so we can see what amazing ways you have tried our activities.

We'd love to hear what you think. Who knows, you could join our team of kid creatives!

See More

Easter Family Activities 2023: I Spy, You Spy, We All Spy! Family Activities, Workshop
Tue 4 Apr – Thu 13 Apr, 10am - 12 noon & 1 - 3 pm, Tues, Weds & Thurs
Child holding up and looking through a pair of made binoculars
Big Room Family Films
February Half Term Family Activities 2023: Slo-mo and Go! Past, Family Activities
Tue 14 Feb – Thu 16 Feb, 10am - 12 noon Tues, Weds & Thurs & 1 - 3 pm Weds & Thurs
Adult and child sitting on the floor surrounded by drawings. They are wearing headphones and looking at each other with mouths open in surprise
Activity: Nature Tangles
Autumn leaves placed together to create a cross-stitch
Activity: Colour Maker
two hands pressing down flowers and leaves onto card with a stone
Activity: Weather Watcher
An empty jar of twigs with strings holding pictures of a cloud, a sun and writing which says Chilly Bon Bons!
Activity: A Moment in Time
a photograph of a family and a letter are on a wooden table with a bowl
Family Activity: Building the Future
a photo of Nottingham Contemporary's building next to a drawing of the building with trees on the roof
Activity: The Everywhere Gallery (Free materials)
Two hands holding up a frame to a jar of Starburst sweets.
Activity: DIY Board Game
A hand drawn board game by a child with images and writing
Family Explorers: A Blueprint for the Better
A 'blue print for the better' resource sheet considering what changes could be made to make a better future. Some of these include 'Sustainability, 'weather', 'predictions', 'gallery conversations', 'environments', 'sounds of the city', 'call to action' and 'food'. Includes sketches of the Nottingham Contemporary logo, the Windmill Community Gardens logo and the Our Silver City, 2094 logo.
Getting to know us: Play and Learn Team
Four images of the Play and Learn Team. Left to right: Susannah Lambert, Milee Lee, Ursula Rae, Rachel Scanlon.
October Family Activities: Chasing Shadows, Catching Sounds Past, Family Activities
Tue 18 Oct – Thu 27 Oct, 10am - 12noon & 1 - 3pm, Tue, Wed & Thu
A small child against a wall with a projection of black adn white stripes. They are holding a cup to their ear attached to another cup with string that she is speaking into
Summer Family Activities: Play Stations Past, Family Activities
Tue 2 Aug – Thu 25 Aug, 10am - 12noon & 1 - 3pm, book a slot, Tue, Wed & Thu
Half Term Family Activities: Do It Yourself Games Past, Family Activities
Tue 31 May – Wed 1 Jun, 10:00 - 12:00 & 13:00 - 15:00, book a slot, Tues & Wed
Easter Holiday Family Activities: Liquid Futures Past, Family Activities, Workshop
Tue 5 Apr – Wed 13 Apr, book a slot, Tues and Wed
children playing with bamboo sticks and paper
Half Term Family Activities: Winter Lights Past, Family Activities, Workshop
Tue 15 Feb – Wed 16 Feb, book a slot, Tues and Wed
Half Term Family Activities: Home from Home Past, Family Activities, Workshop
Tue 19 Oct – Thu 28 Oct, book a slot, Tue & Wed
Laura Eldret, Reach, 2022 Past, Family Activities
Sat 7 May – Sat 3 Sep, 12 - 1pm. Every Saturday throughout the exhibition
children reaching up a wall
Melbury Primary School: Greenwood Zak, film screening Past, Family Activities
Sat 27 Aug, 11am–3pm
a black and white film still of a woods with bird in the air and text which reads "the space and the bird looked like a sword"
Imagination Workshop with Read On Nottingham Past, Family Activities
Tue 16 Aug, 2pm–4pm
two photographs side by side - the left is of children drawing, the right is of an exhibition with large colourful play sculptures
Huntingdon Academy: Challenge Boxes
3 display tables with boards and boxes on in a gallery
Activity: Play Prompts and Conversations
blue green and yellow tape marks out a zig zag on a concrete floor and wall
Play & Learn: Coming out to Play?
Child outside their front door on a yellow mat with paint bottles, looking and listening to a story being read by artist Sian Watson-Taylor. Mother is in the doorway crouched downwith hands together adn a big smile on her face.
National Playday 2022
children on top of a large blue and green padded sculpture